A Clydesdale foal and an American Shetland foal arrived within hours of each other at Rosehill Stud, but a birthday is all they share.

Langdon's Hill Lloyd belongs to the biggest horse at the stud, Mooreland Phyllis, while the still unnamed American Shetland was born to the smallest horse, Twiggy, and barely reaches her new friend's knees.

Veterinarian Dr Liana Peters said Lloyd's birth was much more traumatic than the other foal's, which she said was the easiest so far of the season.

"She is also the first filly of her breed bon in Australia," Dr Peters said.

"A colt beat her by half a day to be the first of her breed.

"The birth was perfect. We had no worries at all. Now she can actually do laps in her box it's so big. Everyone just loves her."

Langdon's Hill Lloyd's birth wasn't quite so easy, with emergency surgery needed to deliver the foal after his front legs slipped back.

"Two or three years ago, that would have been it for both the mare and the foal," Dr Peters said.

"The mare would have kept pushing and we would have lost them both."

Dr Peters said Mooreland Phyllis was put under a general anaesthetic and given drugs to enlarge her uterus and to stop her pushing.

"Normally a foal is born in 15 to 20 minutes but this only takes a couple of minutes."

Owner Tom Shaw said he now plans to take Lloyd – whose father Aarunga Mark is a Royal Melbourne Show and Royal Sydney Show champion Clydesdale stallion – home, but not before he spent a bit of time yesterday getting to know his new little mate under the watchful eye of Dr Peters.

fiona.henderson@fairfaxmedia.com.au